re the Battier comparison I am not sure LF is quite the defensive demon Battier has been for so many years now. SB is also a well rounded player including great character attributes and this would be more in line. If LF comes close to becoming a SB this would have been a helluva acquisition.

ps...if SB was not on the Heat they may very well not won this year...he was the glue guy and shut down defender helping lessen that burden for Lebron & Wade.

lol Landry had this to say about Lin's departure from the Knicks: "Poison pill? That's a tic tac for James Dolan." I absolutely love Field's sense of humor! Can't wait to hear his interviews at the end of games :P

lol Landry had this to say about Lin's departure from the Knicks: "Poison pill? That's a tic tac for James Dolan." I absolutely love Field's sense of humor! Can't wait to hear his interviews at the end of games :P

Same here, seems like a super funny guy. Has a great signing voice, too. They should get him to sing Oh Canada at the start of a game!

I spent the past few days at Summer League and was blown away by what I saw. Had the opportunity to speak with him briefly and he seemed like a really solid guy. Very down to earth and approachable. While I was watching the Raptors game he was 3 rows in front of me. Fans (mostly kids) were running up to him all game trying to get his autograph or a picture with him. Security kept attempting to keep the fans away, but this did not deter Fields.

The security guard was standing behind him. Whenever she would turn one way, he would quickly go to the other side and keep signing and getting in pictures. If she turned around again, he would immediately do the same. He kept trying to interact with the fans as much as possible.

Once security was able to prevent the fans from approaching (sending about 8 kids away), both Fields and Lowry went into the stands to sit with the kids for a few minutes and quick sign some autographs.

I'm a big fan of the character that we have added to the Raptors this off-season.

I spent the past few days at Summer League and was blown away by what I saw. Had the opportunity to speak with him briefly and he seemed like a really solid guy. Very down to earth and approachable. While I was watching the Raptors game he was 3 rows in front of me. Fans (mostly kids) were running up to him all game trying to get his autograph or a picture with him. Security kept attempting to keep the fans away, but this did not deter Fields.

The security guard was standing behind him. Whenever she would turn one way, he would quickly go to the other side and keep signing and getting in pictures. If she turned around again, he would immediately do the same. He kept trying to interact with the fans as much as possible.

Once security was able to prevent the fans from approaching (sending about 8 kids away), both Fields and Lowry went into the stands to sit with the kids for a few minutes and quick sign some autographs.

I'm a big fan of the character that we have added to the Raptors this off-season.

If these two guys (Fields & Lowry) are high character, team-first guys (despite what happened to Lowry last year, which always seems to follow McHale), it's kinda even less surprising that Bayless and JJ got shipped out, beause they both seemed to be me-first guys. I think Casey really wants to instill a sense of team, made up of players who all put the team ahead of themselves.

I spent the past few days at Summer League and was blown away by what I saw. Had the opportunity to speak with him briefly and he seemed like a really solid guy. Very down to earth and approachable. While I was watching the Raptors game he was 3 rows in front of me. Fans (mostly kids) were running up to him all game trying to get his autograph or a picture with him. Security kept attempting to keep the fans away, but this did not deter Fields.

The security guard was standing behind him. Whenever she would turn one way, he would quickly go to the other side and keep signing and getting in pictures. If she turned around again, he would immediately do the same. He kept trying to interact with the fans as much as possible.

Once security was able to prevent the fans from approaching (sending about 8 kids away), both Fields and Lowry went into the stands to sit with the kids for a few minutes and quick sign some autographs.

I'm a big fan of the character that we have added to the Raptors this off-season.

I know that Landry's signing will always have that stigma as part of a failed Nash move but he is a great guy to have on a team. I think he can play to that contract. Prior to last years playoffs nobody in hell would give Javale Mcgee 11 million per season yet we are the laughing stock of the league for paying some guy 6.3 per. Which is less than we were paying for Barbosa. I like what Fields brings a lot more than what Barbosa brought with his hero ball. Take a look at the guys in that 6m range and it doesn't seem so bad.

All the interviews he seems like he is pretty happy to get out of that circus in NY. A fresh start here and he should be able to build upon that rookie season in a basketball system that is better for him than whatever the hell was going on in NY.

I know that Landry's signing will always have that stigma as part of a failed Nash move but he is a great guy to have on a team. I think he can play to that contract. Prior to last years playoffs nobody in hell would give Javale Mcgee 11 million per season yet we are the laughing stock of the league for paying some guy 6.3 per. Which is less than we were paying for Barbosa. I like what Fields brings a lot more than what Barbosa brought with his hero ball. Take a look at the guys in that 6m range and it doesn't seem so bad.

All the interviews he seems like he is pretty happy to get out of that circus in NY. A fresh start here and he should be able to build upon that rookie season in a basketball system that is better for him than whatever the hell was going on in NY.

Agree whole heartedly. And I like Barbosa and his ethic, but not his minor black hole syndrome.

Shantz wrote:

I spent the past few days at Summer League and was blown away by what I saw. Had the opportunity to speak with him briefly and he seemed like a really solid guy. Very down to earth and approachable. While I was watching the Raptors game he was 3 rows in front of me. Fans (mostly kids) were running up to him all game trying to get his autograph or a picture with him. Security kept attempting to keep the fans away, but this did not deter Fields.

The security guard was standing behind him. Whenever she would turn one way, he would quickly go to the other side and keep signing and getting in pictures. If she turned around again, he would immediately do the same. He kept trying to interact with the fans as much as possible.

Once security was able to prevent the fans from approaching (sending about 8 kids away), both Fields and Lowry went into the stands to sit with the kids for a few minutes and quick sign some autographs.

I'm a big fan of the character that we have added to the Raptors this off-season.

Great share. Thanks man! Good to hear of this kind of character and engagement.

Yah I don't get
$12M for Hump. And people complain about Bargnani's contract?

I don't get the complaints about Barg's contract. Colangelo said it was high for the first couple years but he believed it would be a bargain by the end. The frustrating thing for me is not the fact that we had to pay 6+ for Fields, but that LA gets Antawn Jamison for less than 2 million a season - the rich get richer.

I don't get the complaints about Barg's contract. Colangelo said it was high for the first couple years but he believed it would be a bargain by the end. The frustrating thing for me is not the fact that we had to pay 6+ for Fields, but that LA gets Antawn Jamison for less than 2 million a season - the rich get richer.

That is what is wrong with the league. These winner teams get guys for cheap, they leave money on the table to go to go chase a ring. Makes for a boring league when you only have 8 different champions in the last 20 years in the NBA, vs something like the NFL and NHL that have had 13 different champions in the last 20 years. I dont know how they fix that though since its the mentality of the whole league that this is perfectly OK.